“He said a third party or a minor party would be suicidal. He encouraged us to get involved, and we had thousands of people who did just that,” Rodgers said. “They became delegates. They did it through the process. Because Tom didn’t like who they had chosen, he gave us this ultimatum.”

The Tea Party groups are said to represent about 10,000 people.

On an apparently much smaller level, some conservatives are urging Republicans to skip the governor’s race primary as a show of protest.

For those Colorado Republicans disappointed in our two choices for governor: Scott McInnis and Dan Maes. We’d like to register our disappointment by voting for neither of them in the August 10 primary — in hopes that the winner will drop out and a credible candidate be selected in his place.

(Disclosure: Your Spotted This Morning Correspondent is never sure what to “like” or skip on Facebook, as I often wish to track what’s going on with a politician or group I don’t necessarily “like.” So if you poke around on my Facebook page, please understand my “likes” aren’t necessarily endorsements. And please add me as a friend if you do visit.)

Republican gubernatorial candidate Scott McInnis took responsibility for submitting a series of plagiarized articles, but he refused to address contradictions about how it happened and who wrote the copied pieces.

Joey Bunch has been a reporter for 28 years, including the last 12 at The Denver Post. For various newspapers he has covered the environment, water issues, politics, civil rights, sports and the casino industry.